As thousands came together in New York City’s annual Pride march down 5th Avenue this past June, one sign in the crowd struck a familiar chord.
It reads, “I Adore My Lesbian Daughters / Keep Them Safe.”
For over 30 years, Frances Goldin has attended the NYC Pride marches holding up this exact sign, even now as she ages into her 90s and has to navigate the festivities in a wheelchair.
Goldin is a powerhouse of a woman who, ever since both of her daughters came out in the early 1970s, has been an outspoken and compassionate advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender {LGBT) community ― among other social and political causes.
And her sign ― the same sign made over three decades ago ― has become a fixture of the NYC Pride march that people look for each June.
“I keep going back because of the reaction to from the marchers,” Frances told The Huffington Post. “It’s so gratifying – people rushing and kissing me. Some of them say to me, ‘Will you call my mother,?’ I say, ‘Give me her number!’ And I do call their parents because theres an organization called PFLAG for parents of gays and lesbians. And I tell them about that organization and urge them to join it because it helps them get over their reluctance.”
Goldin’s daughter Reeni describes her mother as a 1950s radical whose commitment to social justice has led to her being arrested almost a dozen times. She’s worked tirelessly throughout her lifetime fighting for the rights of marginalized groups, including starting her own literary agency to represent progressive radical authors and running for State Senate in 1951 under the American Labor Party ― the only woman on the ticket.
Goldin’s other daughter Sally told HuffPost that she and her sister learned to walk on picket lines from a young age.
“I feel profoundly grateful and appreciative and proud that I have the kind of support and love that so many LGBT people don’t have from their family,” Sally said. “It is heartbreaking to see the people who run up to her and ask her ‘Will you write to my mother?’ or ‘Will you be my mother?’ She always says yes, and she really does contact parents.”
As someone committed to the working class and the lives of the LGBT community, Frances Goldin really is a legend beyond just her place as a staple figure bearing a recognizable sign at the yearly Pride parade.
She told The Huffington Post that she plans to keep going back to the LGBT community’s annual Pride event year after year.
“I always tell other parents that you’ll never find more giving children than gays and lesbians. And that I have the most devoted, loving, helpful, useful children in the world because I support my kids and they support me,” Frances said. “So, please, cherish your lesbian and gay children.”
Check out more photos of Frances Goldin and her sign over the years below.
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